The reason for this communication is to get your feedback and/or interest in our ICF building system before we commit to a predetermined marketing program.

We own a patented ICF building system that includes a "OnePour" footing and bracing system. Our system allows you to set metal reusable footing forms in place and immediately begin stacking ICF block up to your first pour level, with no time delays. The vertical bracing is then attached with simpler, fewer, and less expensive braces than current traditional scaffold bracing. A turnbuckle is then attached to the top of the vertical bracing and connected to a 2X4 angled downward and staked in place. This can be done on either the interior or exterior. We use independent scaffolding on the other side which is not attached to the wall, unlike traditional scaffold bracing. There is no weight of workers to cause movement of the walls and with the aid of a horizontal plumb string, only minor, quick and easy, turnbuckle adjustments are needed to keep the wall plumb. After building over 30 houses with our system we have NO disaster stories to tell! NOT ONE wall was out of plumb; all walls were square; no mechanical vibrator was needed with only clapping to properly consolidate the concrete, and best of all, NOT ONE BLOWOUT!

There are numerous benefits to our OnePour footing form, namely: 1) no time delay between the completion of putting the footing forms together and starting the stacking of ICF blocks, 2) the wall and the footing are then poured AT THE SAME TIME, eliminating the separate cost to deliver the footing concrete, and the result is a truly stronger monolithic structure with NO COLD JOINT, 3) No cost to replace footing lumber, 4) The roof and windows are completed next and you are now protected from the elements for the duration of the project. The completion of the floor plumbing and concrete placement is completed without delays due to cold, heat, rain or snow conditions. You can complete this stronger home in less time compared to the previous speed of slab-on-grade homes.

Your comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Dave Anderson
ConCoreHomes - MN, LLC

I think I can get my head around this do you have a picture or two for me to look at?

I like your concept and want to encourage you to innovate. Here are some questions I would like the marketing program to address.

FYI my background: Integrated structural concrete contractor with several highly trained crews, pumping equipment, several form/form truck platforms. We entered high-end residential ICF to keep crews busy between lumpy commercial/govt contracts. One of the great benefits of ICF was reduced overhead due to lack of permanent forms. With that:

1) If I use a fabric based footing system (fastfoot or like) it consumes a trivial amount of lumber. How does the transport, erection, cleaning and storage of your system compare?

2)Is erecting a wall brace and a separate man-scaffolding system consistent with reducing overhead, delivery costs and speed of erection? I like the idea of using regular scaffolding: The GC can erect once and use for several trades (windows, siding, roofing support), larger work platform is always preferred, easier to rent in areas where ICF is not popular. Is it possible to integrate bracing and leveling system with conventional scaffolding systems?

These questions are regional (Northeast)

3) Rarely do we build slab on grade. What is the height limit of your system? If you integrate with conventional scaffolding, could I erect and pour a monolithic ICF from footer to eve (within ICF limitation), then leave the job to carpenters or others to hang intermediate floors, etc ...? This would be a huge productivity increase for us.

4) Undisturbed grade is usually sloped and rocky. Basements usually have at least one wall above finished grade. Ideally we excavate and pour footers the same day to avoid washout. Is your system able to hold back rainwater flooding or backfilling of footers while one or more levels are stacked above?